This invention relates to gas valve-switches for igniting and controlling the flow of gas to gas appliances, and more particularly relates to a spring for effecting automatic deenergization of the electrical ignition circuit of a manually ignited gas appliance after ignition has occurred.
One of the problems that has developed in gas appliances which utilize electrical ignition circuits for igniting the burner or burners of the appliance is that of premature burnout or malfunction of one or more of the components of the ignition circuit due to the failure of the user to deenergize the circuit after ignition has taken place and the appliance is in operation. The foregoing problem has been encountered most frequently in gas ranges wherein the energization of the circuit that ignites the burners of the range was effected by rotation of the gas valve control knob to a position somewhat beyond the position corresponding to a substantially full-open position of the valve. Since many users of gas ranges would frequently leave the control valve in its full-open position in order to obtain maximum heating, the ignition circuit remained on with the result that premature failure of one or more of the components of the circuit occurred.
In order to overcome this problem, various solutions have been proposed for rotating the gas control valve away from its ignition circuit actuating position, after ignition has occurred, by means of some type of spring connected to the rotatable valve member of the valve. Examples of gas control valves utilizing springs for deenergizing an associated electrical ignition circuit are disclosed in the Clausing U.S. Pat. No. 1,700,559, Owen U.S. Pat. No. 1,173,851 and Pacifico U.S. Pat. No. 2,596,505.
While the springs disclosed in the aforementioned patents generally accomplished their intended purpose, they were not entirely satisfactory and/or reliable for various reasons, and were not suited for use in modern, combination gas control valve-electrical switch assemblies such as is disclosed in the Stevens et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,633.